Astilbe plant named ‘Little Vision in Pink’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe  plant named ‘Little Vision in Pink’, characterized by its compact, upright and strong plant habit; strong, healthy and dark-colored foliage; freely and uniformly flowering habit with narrow inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane; dark pink-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Astilbe hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LITTLE VISION IN PINK’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant, botanically known as Astilbe hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Little Vision in Pink’.

The new Astilbe plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Noorden, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new compact and strong Astilbe plants with attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Astilbe plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2004 in Noorden, The Netherlands, of an unnamed proprietary seedling of Astilbe chinensis×Astilbe arendsii, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Astilbe chinensis ‘Vision In Pink’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,860, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Astilbe plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Noorden, The Netherlands in 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Astilbe plant by divisions in a controlled environment in Noorden, The Netherlands since January, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Astilbe plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Astilbe have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Little Vision in Pink’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Little Vision in Pink’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and strong plant habit.     -   2. Strong, healthy and dark-colored foliage.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit with narrow         inflorescences positioned above the foliar plane.     -   4. Dark pink-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Astilbe differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe are more compact than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe have stronger stems than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Astilbe have darker-colored flowers than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Astilbe differ primarily from plants of the male parent, ‘Vision In Pink’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe are more compact than plants of         ‘Vision In Pink’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Astilbe are positioned         higher above the foliar plane than inflorescences of plants of         ‘Vision In Pink’.     -   3. Plants of the new Astilbe have darker-colored flowers than         plants of ‘Vision In Pink’.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to plants of Astilbe chinensis ‘Vision’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Noorden, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe differed from plants of ‘Vision’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe were more compact than plants of         ‘Vision’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Astilbe were finer than leaves of         plants of ‘Vision’.     -   3. Plants of the new Astilbe had darker-colored flowers than         plants of ‘Vision’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Astilbe plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Astilbe plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Little Vision in Pink’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Little Vision in Pink’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leaves of ‘Little Vision in Pink’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in containers in an outdoor nursery in Noorden, The Netherlands, under commercial practice during the summer. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranging from 5° C. to 15° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe hybrida ‘Little Vision in Pink’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary seedling of             Astilbe chinensis×Astilbe arendsii, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Astilbe chinensis ‘Vision In Pink’,             disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,860. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By divisions.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 20 days at 15° C. to 18° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About two months at             18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact, upright and             strong plant habit; roughly narrowly triangular; flowering             stems and leaves basal; dense and bushy growth habit; low to             moderate vigor; freely and uniformly flowering with numerous             flowers on narrow and branched panicles positioned well             above the foliar plane.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate to slow; from divisions, about 20             weeks are required to produce fully-grown flowering plants.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of foliar plane).—About 11.4             cm.         -   Plant height (soil level to top of inflorescences).—About             41.7 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 28.3 cm.         -   Stem description.—Length: About 9.7 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 4.8 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: Close to 146A to 146B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; biternately compound.         -   Leaf length (excluding petiole).—About 14 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 13.6 cm.         -   Lateral leaflet length.—About 3.9 cm.         -   Lateral leaflet width.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Terminal leaflet length.—About 4 cm.         -   Terminal leaflet width.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet shape.—Ovate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet base.—Rounded to attenuate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet margin.—Biserrate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet texture, upper and lower             surfaces.—Sparsely pubescence, rough.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Lateral and terminal leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to 144A. Developing leaves, upper surface:             Between 145D and 146D. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Slightly darker than between 137A and 147A; venation, close             to 148C to 148D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137C; venation, close to 148D.         -   Leaf petiole length.—About 5.3 cm.         -   Leaf petiole diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Leaflet petiole length.—About 7 mm.         -   Leaflet petiole width.—About 2 mm.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Leaf and leaflet petiole color, upper and lower             surfaces.—Close to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type/habit.—Numerous single rotate flowers arranged             on terminal branched panicles; flowers fact upright, outward             or downward depending on position on the panicle; panicles             narrowly triangular in shape; freely and uniformly flowering             habit with about 1,500 flowers and flower buds per             inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant; sweet.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering during the             summer to late summer in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the             plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Shape: Elliptical. Color: Close to 148C, flushed with close             to 184B; towards the apex, close to 58A.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 32 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 10.6 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 6 mm.         -   Flower depth.—About 4.5 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl. Length: About 4 mm. Lobe width: About 0.9 mm. Shape:             Narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 59D.             Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             68B; color becoming closer to 75C to 75D with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused towards the base; campanulate calyx. Length:             About 1.7 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Broadly ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cuneate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing             sepals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 148C, flushed             with close to 184B. Fully developed sepals, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 69D; towards the margins and apex, close             to 68C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 31.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Angle: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Close to 144B to 144C; towards the apex tinged with             close to 185B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.8 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144B to 144C             occasionally flushed with close to 185C to 185D.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             ten; anthers basifixed. Filament length: About 1.8 mm.             Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About 0.3 mm. Anther             color: Close to 155A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:             Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: Two. Pistil             length: About 2.5 mm. Style length: About 2 mm. Style color:             Between 68C and 69A. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stigma             color: Close to 68C. Ovary color: Close to 69A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and high     temperatures of about 35° C.; plants of the new Astilbe have been     observed to be hardy to USDA Zone 5. 

1. A new and distinct Astilbe plant named ‘Little Vision in Pink’ as illustrated and described. 